Ukraine parliament votes to join International Criminal Court

Ukraine's parliament voted on Wednesday to join the International Criminal Court (ICC), as Kyiv seeks to bring Russia on charges over war crimes it is alleged to have committed throughout its invasion.

The ICC prosecutes grave offences like genocide and crimes against humanity, and has the power to issue arrest warrants that its 124 members are obliged to execute.

Ukraine signed the Rome Statute that founded the court in 2000, but did not ratify it, with some political and military figures expressing fears Ukrainian soldiers could face prosecution.

"Parliament adopted the ratification of the Rome Statute," opposition lawmaker Yaroslav Zheleznyak said on Telegram. In total, 281 lawmakers voted for the measure.

The ratification controversially included a reference to Article 124 of the Rome Statute, which would exempt Ukrainian citizens from being prosecuted for war crimes for seven years, ruling party lawmaker Yevgeniya Kravchuk said on Facebook.

"The ratification of the Rome Statute will simultaneously facilitate greater opportunities for punishing Russians and increase the isolation of Russia," she said.

Last year, the court issued arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and his children's ombudsman Maria Lvova-Belova over the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia and Russian-controlled territory.

Kyiv had long faced pressure from rights groups to ratify the treaty as well as from the European Union, which Ukraine has sought to join.